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One would think that a pandemic would slow down car sales. And, generally speaking, this has been the case. However, electric car sales continue to soar in spite of the public health crisis.
Despite many Europeans losing their jobs in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, electric car sales have stayed strong. Why is this?
Data is showing that Western Europe is largely leaving the East behind in the world of clean cars. Electric vehicles have been selling very well in the West, even while traditional diesel and petrol vehicle sales are falling off.
Looking at the numbers, this also coincides with fewer car sales in Eastern Europe altogether. In this context, the EU is now looking at ways to help make sure poorer people can keep up with the wealthy in the world of clean cars.
One official with the European Commission stated: “The car industry will benefit from the ambitious recovery instrument of €750 billion … while remaining eligible for financial aid under several programs within [the] revised Multiannual Financial Framework proposal.”
This recovery program is one of several that is being put in place to help the auto industry through this pandemic. The Commission found that businesses and citizens alike would be unable to make it through the pandemic’s economic impact without some form of government aid.
To this point, traditional car sales were down a surprising 38 percent throughout the first three months of the pandemic.
And, while a huge number of electric vehicles were selling during these months, the numbers revealed that they were far skewed to Western Europe. Of all electric vehicles sold in March and April, 98 percent of them were sold in Western Europe.
One suggestion for how to help struggling Europeans purchase an electric vehicle is for the EU to match a country’s subsidy on such cars. As you might know, many countries offer some kind of rebate or subsidy on the purchase of an electric vehicle. This is to help encourage people to buy a more environmentally-friendly vehicle.
If the EU were to match these subsidies, it could help electric vehicles to be more competitive, price-wise, with traditional vehicles.
This has been a pressing issue with traditional petrol vehicles. Despite their environmental effects, they remain more affordable for the average European citizen. Most people simply can’t afford a pricey electric car, even if it would be the better choice for the environment.
